Garden Apartments - Architectural History

Architectural information is found in a variety of sources. The reference section of an architectural library will yield more information than the reference section of a general academic library or a public library. Only the large public libraries or branches are likely to have architectural dictionaries and encyclopedias.

In a general encyclopedia such as American Heritage Encyclopedia or Encyclopaedia Britannica search under "housing." In architectural reference materials search under "multi-unit housing."

Several Library of Congress Subject Headings contain information about garden apartments. Searching by call number is an efficient way to search for books and/or journals on a particular subject. One useful call number is NA 7860 which is apartment houses in the U.S. Other call number ranges might identify particular architects, the use of particular materials, or other geographic locations. If your search takes you to a library a reference librarian can help you formulate a search and/or locate materials in that particular library.

Garden Apartment Architecture

Definition

1) Ground-floor apartment with access to a garden or other adjacent outdoor space. 2) Two- or three-story apartment buildings with communal gardens, generally located in the suburbs.

Harris, Cyril M., Ed. Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2000.

Low-Density Housing

Low-density housing: Garden apartments are considered low-density housing. The characteristics of low-density housing are:

12-36 units per acre
Wood frame construction
Walk-up to upper floors

Johnson, Jeh. Evcyclopedia of Architecture, Design, Engineering & Construction, vol. 3. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1989, pp. 488-489.

Characteristics

Characterisics particular to garden apartments include:

Inspired by English garden city and German superblock concepts
Structures surround a landscaped common area
Walkways are apart from roads
2-3 stories

Baker, Gail. "Garden Apartments: Three Preservation Case Studies." CRM, No. 5, 1999, pp. 23-25.

History and Research

The late 19th and early 20th century saw mass migration from rural to urban areas. During the great depression Roosevelt's New Deal programs brought tens of thousands of people to the Washington, D.C. metro area. Virginia and Maryland counties experienced housing shortages; garden apartments and other planned communities were developed to provide housing to middle-class families.

Many of these complexes are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Three local examples may be found in Arlington County, Virginia. Here are some trustworthy sources for information on garden apartments.

Government Sources

NPS National Register Information System
Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey
A particularly thorough document with a useful bibliography is the multiple property National Register nomination form: Garden Apartments, Apartment Houses and Apartment Complexes in Arlington County, Virginia: 1934-1954. This was created in 1992, and could be a fruitful place to begin.

Search Engine Tips

Starting at known government or academic databases (see above) is a good idea.
Using advanced search features on a search engine (such as an advanced Google search) and limiting results to the ".gov" or ".edu" domains yields some useful results.
Using quotes for phrases in your search, such as - "garden apartments" AND history - can help limit results to more useful hits as well.
It is difficult to craft a sufficient search from the basic search engine page. Try some advanced searches.

Journals and Magazine Articles
If you have access at your local public or university/college library you can find great resources on architecture generally and garden apartments specifically. Some of the more useful databases that you need to pay to access (check your library to see if they subscribe) include the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals and ProQuest.